Salvation (Redux)
by o Ventus
Summary: As per the original, it's the telling of what happens to Shepard following the Destroy ending. The fourth chapter is a bridging chapter (as per the name of the chapter itself), detailing exactly what happened to the Normandy following the crash, and how they return. Apologies in advance if this confuses anybody.
1. Awakening

There I was, engulfed in an inferno of fire and shrapnel. The sensation was agonizing, like I had skipped death and went face first into hell itself. If I believed in such things, I probably would have. Then, it all... Vanished. The feeling, the pain, the bleeding... It was gone.

"Shepard? Shepard, are you conscious?" said a voice. Everything was still a little hazy. Was I a celebrity in the afterlife too? I can't be dead. Everything I've been through? I won't let this be the end of me. I try to open my eyes, but they feel like they're glued shut. Involuntarily, I feel my left arm jerk, and pain spiked through it. My head feels like it's going to split at any moment.

Once more I hear that voice, "Shepard?" Still unclear, but I could tell that it was female, even a little familiar sounding. Slowly (and painfully) I manage to open my eyes. Maybe perhaps I wasn't in hell after all. It was her, Miranda Lawson, just as beautiful as she had ever been. She looked at me with tears emerging from her eyes. She looked a little ragged, as if she hadn't slept in a week. Was she here by my side this whole time? Looking around me, I could see that I was hooked up to a staggering amount of medical equipment. The IV tubes in my arms prevented much movement, but I could inch around a little bit.

She began to speak again, "Oh thank God, Shepard, you're alright. Even I wasn't sure you were going to pull through this one."

My jaw was a little stiff, but I managed to croak out a few words, "You know me Miranda. Some burns aren't going to take me down."

Half jokingly, she responded, "Burns? Try burns, gunshot wounds, fragmentation, and blood loss. I don't even want to mention the other kinds of physical trauma you endured before I found you." I was a little dumbfounded, to be honest. How did I manage to survive all that? Hell, when I crash landed on Alchera, that killed me.

"You found me? Damn, I guess that means I didn't keep my promise," I said.

"Heh, I guess not. It's not important anymore. What went on up there, Shepard?"

"I walked into an explosion," I explained bluntly. It was as insane as it sounded. I'm not too sure of my sanity at this point myself.

There was a short pause. Miranda looked at me in disbelief. I can't say I blame her.

"You what?"

"Yeah. I walked into an explosion. Not quite sure what I was thinking."

"I must say Shepard, I'm very angry with you, taking a stupid risk like that."

I couldn't think of anything to say. I was able to move my right arm with relative comfort, so long as I didn't disturb the tubes too greatly. I took Miranda's hand and lightly squeezed it. I could see tears beginning to streak her cheeks. She sounded angry, but she was relieved to see me alive. I was relieved to see her too. Weakly, I asked, "You said you found me? How did you do it?"

"It wasn't too difficult, really. We could see the presidium tower exploding from miles away. Ever since we had remade you during project Lazarus, I've had your cybernetics' EM signature logged into my omni-tool, so Cerberus could keep close tabs on you in case you ever defected. It led me straight to you. My squadron told me there was no way you would have survived it, but I knew better. I proved them wrong," she said.

With a weak smile, I said, "Ha, that's one thing I love about you, Miranda. You have habit of doing that. Errm... How long have you been by my side?"

"Six days," she said, sounding weary, "I needed to know you would be alright."

Once again I found myself at a loss for words. She really spent a week by my bedside? Finally, I manage to form a coherent sentence, "Seriously? I... I don't know what to say other than that it means a lot that you would do that."

She placed her other hand over my own and looked down at them. I could feel her tears splashing down on my fingers. I could feel the utter pain and sadness she experienced during her six day wait. I put her through a lot. Eventually, she began to smile. The tears became less frequent.

"Miranda... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you worry like that. When I get out of here, I'll make it up to you, I promise. This time, I intend to keep it too," I declared with a renewed sense of vigor. Miranda smiled and looked at me.

She chuckled, "Damn right you will," she said. "You owe me, big time."

I shared in the moment, "Yeah, this makes two now, doesn't it?"

"The doctors say you'll be in here for another week or so, then into physical therapy. Your cybernetics sped the initial trauma recovery by a great deal. We're going to have to run a full diagnostic on them when you get out. I looked over everything. Your vitals are in check, but some of the other parts look fried. We may have to get some replacements," she explained to me.

"That sounds... Unpleasant."

"Oh, it will be. The last time you had them implanted, you had the benefit of being dead. I'm afraid you won't be so lucky this time."

"You sure know how to comfort me, Ms. Lawson," I said.

"Relax Shepard, I'm only joking. It should be painless. Like I said, nothing vital is out of place. At the worst, you won't be heading to the Armax Arena any time soon," She said. She let go of my hand and stood up.

She stretched her arms and looked around. "Well, I had best be getting out of here soon," she told me, "I've got some business to take care of. Still trying to find Oriana some living space. We've been more or less drifting ever since the Crucible was fired. Some prefabs were set up, but they filled like you wouldn't believe. If we could get our hands on a shuttle, we could get back to the Citadel. The Silversun Strip is still almost entirely active. Only the presidium and two of the wards are out of power."

"Really? How does the remainder of the station have energy," I asked her. I was more than a little shocked to hear this.

"Well, the Silversun Strip is one of the wealthier sides of the Citadel. It's possible that we simply installed some very large backups," she told me. It made sense.

"Yeah... Well, I'll let you go then. See you in about a week, Miranda," I said.

Before she left, she leaned over and she kissed me. It was long, sweet, and full of conviction. I would have it no other way. Following that, she looked at me again.

"Goodbye Shepard,"she said.

I had been given not only a second chance, but now a third chance. I was not going to let it go to waste.


	2. Reassessing

Just as Miranda had said, a week had passed as I lay in bed. I didn't get any visitors. I can hardly imagine that anybody knew I was even alive. I was eager to get out of here. It felt like a veritable prison; the walls were washed white, and the mood of the whole facility seemed one of sterile ambivalence. Fortunately, the attending staff were the fundamental opposite. They seemed happy, optimistic, and full of life. Well, for the most part anyway. Considering what everybody has been through over the last couple of months, it was welcome, if perhaps a bit jarring.

The door slid open and my doctor walked in.

"Alright Commander, looks like you're about ready to get up and out of here," She said.

"Finally," I said, "I mean, no offense against you doctor, I just hate being cooped up in here. Feeling helpless, you know?"

She casually spoke back to me, "Oh, no offense taken, Commander. I know the feeling. When I was a girl, the settlement I lived in was raided by slavers. They were relentless, burning down buildings and chasing down runaway settlers. My family and I managed to get away, but I broke both of my legs while on the run. My mother and my brother had to look after me as well as themselves. In fact, that's what led me to wanting to become a physician, I wanted to help people stay out of situations like that, so people don't have to suffer as we did."

"Wow, that sounds terrible. I'm sorry," I said.

"At the time, it was. Looking back on it, it probably wasn't as bad as I had made it sound. Well, for my family anyway," She said.

About an hour and 2 mountains of paperwork later, I made my way out of the hospital. Miranda had called me on my omni-tool. She would pick me up and we would make our way to what was left of Alliance command, back in Vancouver. I needed to see Hackett. When we got there, it looked like the war was still going on. Guards posted on every corner, fortifications set up on and around the buildings, and tanks patrolling the streets in an almost oppressive way.

"Wait, I thought the fighting was over?", I said.

"It is. Well, we aren't fighting the Reapers anymore I should say. You know the massive toll this war took on everybody, Shepard. The people who aren't dead are desperate. We've had a number of attempted break-ins since you were unconscious. We still haven't fully scrubbed the city of corpses from the fighting," Miranda had said.

"My God, it sounds worse than I would have imagined."

"Things are worse than any of us had imagined. You've been out of the loop for too long. We'll bring you up to speed when we see the Admiral."

The rest of the ride was spent in near silence. Aside from some small talk, there wasn't a lot either of us knew to say. We passed by some shanties made out of prefabs. They were filled to the brim and the people inside looked emaciated. I'm glad Miranda and her sister weren't living in one of those, under such horrible conditions. I know that's selfish, but now, more than ever, we need to look after our own. We arrived at the headquarters and went up to the topmost floor. Admiral Hackett was waiting for us.

The Admiral turned and spoke to us, "Commander Shepard, Ms. Lawson, good to see that the both of you could make it."

"How are we doing up here, Admiral?", I had said.

"Well enough, given the circumstances. We've regained contact with a number of major cities and provinces around the world. Dubai, New York City, Paris, and Berlin, just to name a few," Hackett said.

"That's good. Listen, Admiral, there's something I-"

Hackett cut me off, "Commander, we've also been hearing some strange signals from deep space. They're undeniably Alliance, but a bit off. We've been able to decipher bits and pieces of what they're trying to tell us. Mostly just individual words. It sounds like whoever is broadcasting us is on their way here."

"Do you think they're hostile?", I asked.

"Personally, no, given everything that's happened the last few months. Unless they identify before entering our airspace though, we may have to take them out," said Hackett.

"How is the rebuilding coming along, Admiral? We saw some shanties on the way here, people fighting for food and supplies," I remarked.

"Unfortunately, it'll be that way for a little while longer. We can set up prefabs in the blink of an eye, but building lasting structures still takes at least a number of days. The lack of living space is only exacerbated by our large refugee population. People from other parts of the continent fled here, hoping the Alliance could help them. We did all we could, but we simply can't handle all these runners at one time. Resources are spread thin and food is more and more scarce. Hell, feeding and housing our own people is hard enough," Hackett replied.

"Has nobody offered any aid?", I asked.

"Urdnot Wrex sent word that he would send back some supplies as a note of thanks after he got back to Tuchanka, and asari High Command has offered our refugees asylum on some of their less inhabited colonies in the Silean nebula," said Hackett.

"That's good to hear," I said with a deep sigh of relief.

"It is. Except it'll be a matter of weeks or months simply trying to transport the people and food. Tuchanka is a whole sector of space over. The Silean nebula is even farther," Miranda had chimed in.

"She's right," Hackett said. "Like I said, things will be as they are now for a little while longer. Regardless, another good note is that the quarians have volunteered some of their ships for the transport. They aren't the safest or the fastest, but they're crewed by some of the best hands in the galaxy and their cargo size is unparalleled."

"Necessary compromise then. I can deal with that so long as we get what we need. Still, it's good to see people banding together despite the recent events," I said.

Hackett replied once again, "I agree, Commander.

All this time, something was in the back of my mind, as if gnawing away at me. I had to know.

"Admiral, has the Normandy made contact?", I asked.

There was a pause. Admiral Hackett looked down in a somber manner. He looked pained.

"I'm sorry Commander. We haven't heard anything from them since the Crucible fired. It's been about a month since then. By all accounts… They're gone."

There was another pause. No one had anything to say. Finally, after what felt like forever, Hackett had started to speak again, "Shepard, before the Reapers invaded Earth, the defense committee was considering reinstating you back into the Alliance. Anderson had told me about what he did, but that wasn't the most… Official of ceremonies. Would you like to come back into service?"

I turned my head toward at Miranda. She nodded her head in understanding. I looked back at Hackett and said to him, "Sir, with all due respect, I would like to retire from official duty. Without sounding like I'm going into self-pity, I think I've run my course here, and there are people I would like to spend some time with." As I finished my speech, I put one of my arms around Miranda. She looked surprised at my decision.

"I thought you might feel that way, Commander, most of us would. As such, we are willing to give you and Ms. Lawson full retirement benefits plus financial and medical aid," Hackett said to me while offering his hand.

We shook hands on it, and I said, "Thank you sir, for understanding, and for everything. This means a lot."

Hackett gave a small chuckle and said, "Ha, after all you've done for us, Shepard, this is the least we could do. If there's ever anything the Alliance can do for you, don't hesitate to give me a call."

Hackett handed me the retirement documents, and Miranda and I left.

On the way out, Miranda began to speak to me, "I managed to get ahold of a shuttle," she told me.

"So we can go back to the Citadel?"

"Right. I figure after what Hackett had laid on you, that you can use some better news."

"I agree. In spite of everything that's happened, it'll be nice to finally go home."

"You know, I half-expected you to stay with them."

"Honestly, Miranda, I think where I need to be right now is here, with you."

She smiled and said, "If anyone else had said that it would have been unendurably cheesy, but you somehow managed to make it endearing."

"Just one of my many charms, Ms. Lawson."

She laughed. "I'm glad to have you back, Shepard", she said with a hug. "Glad to be back," I said while hugging her back.

We made it to Miranda's shuttle and got inside. As she punched in the destination coordinates, Miranda said to me, "When we get back to the apartment, there's something I want to discuss with you, Shepard. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I brought Oriana to your apartment. Like I told you before, there's no room in Vancouver, and I couldn't bare to see her living in those conditions. At the very least, not while Wrex's supplies haven't arrived."

"Not at all, Miranda. Oriana can stay with us as long as you or she likes, it's fine by me," I said, reassuringly.

"Thank you, Shepard. That means a lot," she said as we took off for home.


	3. Resemblance

It was dark. Jet black as far as I could see. It was a empty, cerebral, almost contemplative darkness. Shapes gradually began to take hold. Ground formed beneath me, trees and plants grew all around me, great stones took shape before my eyes, as though I were witnessing millions of years of ecological development in an instant, but it was a world devoid of color. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of white. I could scarcely make out a humanoid figure, and I ran to greet it. Getting closer, the form took finite shape. It was a woman. She turned to me, and I saw her face; it was Miranda. I stopped short, and she walked up to me and took my hands in hers. She pressed her lips to mine and time seemed to slow down, almost to a halt. A moment had passed, and I felt... Something. I broke away from Miranda and looked up into the blackened sky. A small tinge of red had appeared. It grew and grew, as if traveling towards us. Suddenly, an intense heat had taken over me. I collapsed to my knees in pain. Nothing had been quite so intense. I could see Miranda in front of me, writhing in pain as I was. Her skin began to split open, like a volus without its breathing helmet. I could hear her screams as she burst into flame, and I heard them stop as she keeled over, charred and utterly destroyed. I looked down at my own hands, and saw the flesh strip itself from the bone. I saw what the red mass was in the sky. A shockwave of some undeterminable composition, racing towards me. As it collided, I could feel the light taking me to pieces. I let out a scream.

"Shepard?", Miranda had said. She was lying next to me, rubbing her eyes. None of it had happened.

"I'm sorry, Miranda. I just had... I had a horrible dream," I said.

She relaxed a bit and said, "You were screaming as if you had been stabbed. What happened in your dream?"

"I... There was a field, and it was pitch black. You were there. You and I kissed, and there was a rush of heat. It... Barbecued us both. It sounds kind of stupid when I put it that way, but it was livid. Almost real."

Miranda put an arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder. "Sounds more painful than anything. Perhaps a bit silly," she said.

"Heh, yeah. Damn, we should get up; we need to pick up Oriana," I said, looking at the clock.

We had been at the apartment for 1 night since the Crucible fired. Oriana was out visiting some of her friends at the hospital when we got here.

"You know, she's been eager to formally meet you," Miranda said, getting dressed.

"Yeah?"

"It's true. It's like she idolizes you. Can't say I don't understand why; you _are _a celebrity now, after all."

I had just remembered something. "Hey, Miranda, before we boarded the shuttle on the way here, you said you wanted to talk to me about something," I said.

Miranda sat down and looked toward me. "That's right," she said. "I have a... Proposition for you, if you would be so inclined to hear it."

"Of course."

"Alright. Just... Hear me out. I want to restart Cerberus."

"You want to... Restart Cerberus?"

"Well, not directly. Considering the recent events, humanity is more vulnerable than it's ever been. We need a safeguard. Of course, the organization I had in mind wouldn't be quite so, erm, severe as Cerberus had been. Still clandestine and independent, but not as manic as when the Illusive Man was at the helm. I want you to be there with me, at the forefront" she said.

For a moment, I was silent. To put it mildly, I was... Skeptical. Regardless what I may have thought about Cerberus in the past, nobody will take to a group like them forming so soon. After that pondering, I spoke back up, "Are you really sure that this would be a good idea?"

"It would be the right move."

"Under any normal circumstances, I would say no. However, I trust you Miranda. You wouldn't mention this to me if you didn't truly believe it would work. I'm in. Just... Promise me you won't become the Illusive Woman."

"No promises", she said with a chuckle.

Some while later, Miranda and I arrived back at the apartment with Oriana.

"It's a great honor to finally meet you, Commander Shepard," Oriana said.

"Please, call me Shepard. Everybody else already does," I somewhat sheepishly replied.

Miranda and I sat down on the sofa while Oriana stepped into another room. "Did you say anything to your sister about reforming Cerberus?", I said.

"Not yet, no. After everything that's happened between her, myself, and our father, I thought it best I keep any associations quiet for the time being." Miranda said.

"I understand. She's going to need to know eventually," I said.

"I know, but-"

"But you're afraid that I'll be sucked into a dangerous life style, like you did?", Oriana had interjected, coming in from the kitchen.

"How did you know?", Miranda asked.

"It was obvious enough, sis. I could tell from the conversations we had about your line of work. If you want my opinion, I say go for it. I know you and Shepard, of all people, can do it. And before you say no, I want to help."

"No, Ori. It's far too dangerous."

"At least hear me out."

"... Fine. Talk."

"I've been doing some digging, and I came across a copy of our father's will. It hasn't been read by his law staff yet. I could change it and make myself the beneficiary."

"How did you manage to take Father's will?"

"It wasn't easy. Ever since I was a girl, one of my hobbies was computer splicing. After Father took me to Sanctuary, he didn't keep complete tabs on me. He was utterly obsessed with his research. Fortunately, not every posted guard was indoctrinated. I was able to... Charm my way into Father's private quarters."

"Ori, don't tell me you... God, you didn't-"

"No, Miranda, I didn't," Oriana said as Miranda let out a sigh of relief. "Once I got into Father's quarters, it was a matter of decrypting the files. The date on the will indicates that he had only written it recently."

"What's actually in the will?", Miranda asked.

"A sum of 9 billion credits from Father's personal funds to be transferred directly into his company, Lawson Genetics. I think I can also edit it and give myself ownership of the company."

Miranda's face beamed up in understanding and she said, "That's brilliant, Ori. We can use the money to get us off the ground, and the company will give us a nice public face."

"Precisely what I was thinking."

"Well then, Ori, get to editing that will. And you and I are going to have a talk later about the 'charming' that you did," Miranda said in a parental tone.

Oriana walked out, and Miranda and I remained on the sofa. "You know, it'll take more than the 3 of us to get this thing off the ground, even with the money," I said to Miranda.

"I know. Now that we have a solid foundation, we need to get pull in some more numbers. I've put together a list of people we should look into recruiting. Some familiar faces on here, among others. Here, have a look," Miranda said, handing me a datapad.

"Jacob, Brynn, Admiral Hackett... Alright. These people look promising," I said while skimming through the list of names.

I handed the datapad back to Miranda. She took it and stood up. "I'm famished, Shepard," she said. "How about lunch? I hear they reopened Ryuusei, after you so graciously fell through their fish tank."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Not a chance."

I laughed and gave Miranda a hug. "Let's go," I told her.


	4. Bridging

The airlock door let out a depressurized hiss and crept open. The figure of a man revealed itself with an awkward limp. A man with red hair and blue clothing. It was the ship's pilot, Jeff "Joker" Moreau. Behind him, 2 more figures emerged from the darkness, this time a turian and an asari. Garrus Vakarian and Liara T'Soni, respectively. The ship was in a state of obvious disrepair. Parts of the fuselage were missing and the engines were shot, but still intact. It's a miracle the hull held up as much as it did, given the rough impact. On one of the engines, the designation "SR-2" was emblazoned in black and blue font. On the fuselage was "NORMANDY". It was the ship of Commander Shepard, who was left behind on Earth when Admiral Hackett gave the command to evacuate the planet. Joker sat down on a nearby rock in silence. For those who know the man, this was quite uncharacteristic. He brought his hands up to his face and began to sob. Liara sat down next to Joker in an attempt to comfort him. Garrus scanned the immediate area and stepped back inside the ship.

"We're clear, for now," Garrus said on the ship's loudspeaker. There was a collective sigh of relief in the CIC. Near the GUI for the onboard galaxy map, Garrus met with Tali'Zorah, a quarian who had also accompanied Commander Shepard.

"Where are we?", asked Tali in a distressed tone.

"I have no idea. Some of the territory looks familiar, but this planet doesn't register on any of our records," Garrus said. "How bad is the damage to our engines?", he asked.

"Not as bad as we feared, but not as good as we had hoped. The drive core is still largely intact, but it's unresponsive. We need to find a way to kick it back into gear, so to say," said Tali.

"And EDI?", asked Garrus.

Tali hung her head over her shoulders. "That's the tricky part," she said. "EDI managed our drive core emissions and output, and we don't have any apparent way to do it manually. I won't bore you with the tech, but if we can't keep our emissions low, the drive core will overheat and cook every living thing down on the same deck. Between Adams and myself, devising some way to keep tabs on our emissions should be easy, it's keeping power to the engines that's the problem. I suppose that's one of the downsides to having so many of the ship's menial systems operated by an AI, even one as advanced as EDI. There's no response from the AI core. Nothing at all. It's as if she - as if EDI just... Died. Before we were hit by... Whatever that shockwave was, I was standing beside EDI in the cockpit. One moment she's there helping Joker, and the next, her body contorts at these really unnatural angles and she keels over. Joker was sitting right next to her," Tali told Garrus.

"I can't imagine how he must feel right now," Garrus replied.

"Me neither. I mean, losing someone that close to you... I was torn to pieces when my father was killed, but I don't think I could take losing you or Shepard," Tali said.

"Speaking of Shepard, I pray to the spirits that he's okay. I saw him take a nasty hit from inside the observation deck," said Garrus.

Meanwhile, back outside, Liara attempted to talk to Joker. She could see that he was pained. He knew EDI was gone.

"She'll be missed," Liara said.

"Yeah. It's just... Kind of raw, you know?", said Joker.

"Of course. I still feel great pain from the night my mother died. Sometimes I re-experience those events in my dreams," said Liara.

"I don't think I've hit _that_ particular stage of grief yet," Joker said, in a sincere, yet clearly rigid attempt to get his regular humor back. "Do you think Shepard made it?", he asked.

"If there's anyone who will have survived this whole ordeal, it'll be Shepard. He's alive, I'm sure of it," Liara said in a reassuring manner.

"God, I hope so. I don't think I can take 2 deaths in the family," Joker said.

"Come on, we need to get you back to the ship and get ourselves off this planet," said Liara.

A few days later, in the war room, Tali found herself engaged in a conversation with Samantha Traynor, the Normandy's Communications Specialist.

"No luck trying to contact Sword?", Tali asked.

"Not a single damned bit. The QEC won't function properly without EDI," said Traynor.

Tali hung her head. "Keelah..." she said in a clearly distraught tone.

Traynor turned and looked at Tali. She couldn't see the quarian's face, but she could sense the uncertainty through Tali's suit. "But... I think I can make my own little QEC," Traynor said in a sudden realization.

Tali looked up towards Traynor. "What?", she asked. "I'm a quarian, and even I don't know how to do that," she said.

"Well, it isn't concrete, but I suppose if I could take some components from EDI's AI core, I could initiate a spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Theoretically speaking, I could take EDI's bluebox and use it to split photons focused through fiber couplers and send out a signal with it, like Morse code. No guarantees, but it _could_ work."

"I'm a quarian. I don't know what Morse code is," Tali said.

"Oh, right. Basically, it's just a sequence of signals transmitted along a wire via a series of sequential button presses. Only here, there's no wire."

"But one QEC can only communicate directly with one other QEC at any given time. Assuming this device of yours even works, how do you plan on getting somebody's attention?", Tali asked.

"I haven't figured that part out yet. I suppose I could just transpose the signal through different relay channels and hope I get an open line. I couldn't make any calls of my own, but I can cut into a call in progress. There's no telling how strong the 'connection' would be though, the entangled particles could just as easily fall out of alignment," said Traynor.

"Well, we have to do something soon. Our food stores are fine for now, but they won't last forever," Tali said.

"I promise you, Tali, we'll get out of here," Traynor said, placing her hand on Tali's shoulder in reassurance.

One floor lower, near the engines, a prothean sat in quiet contemplation. He had been sitting there for a number of hours. He held a small object in his hand. It was the Echo Shard that Commander Shepard had made him re-experience. He was reliving the memories contained within once more, trying to come to terms with his past actions. The muscles around his 4 eyes twitched in anxiety, and he could feel his grip on the shard tightening. Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind him, "Javik?", it said. The prothean didn't seem to hear it. The voice belonged to Liara. On top of being the Shadow Broker, she was also a leading scholar on the protheans. "Javik?", she called out again, this time placing one of her hands on Javik's shoulders. She could see that he was uncomfortable. From the corner of her eye, she saw the shard in his hand. she knocked the shard from his grasp, and Javik came reeling back to the present.

"You. Asari. Why do you disturb my meditation?", Javik asked as he rose to his feet, between strained breaths. The shard had worn him out physically.

"I just wanted to let you know that we may have found a way to get off the planet and back to Earth," Liara said.

"Good. I will not die here. Not surrounded by primitives," Javik said. He felt a sharp pain in his hand. He looked down and saw that his palm was bleeding. He had been gripping the shard so firmly that it had cut him.

Liara furrowed her brow and looked at Javik in a stern demeanor. "I am getting very tired of you constantly referring to me and everyone else as 'primitive'," she said.

"It is what you are. Nothing more, nothing less," Javik stoicly replied.

"We didn't need to free you from that stasis pod, you know. We could have left you there to sleep for another 50,000 years and die from power failure," said Liara.

"And perhaps it would have been for the best. At least then I could be reunited with my people again, instead of trapped here on a lifeless planet with your incessant complaining about my conduct. Tell me, who have I harmed with my words?", Javik said,

Liara softened her composure, if only slightly. Javik did have a point. she knew that they were just words, and didn't have any real power. "I... I'm sorry," she said. "I sometimes forget that you are alone. That doesn't completely excuse your actions, though."

"I accept your apology, and perhaps I should apologize myself," said Javik, slightly backing down. "Your cycle did what mine could not. The Reapers are no more. That alone is a testament to your abilities as a species and as a community. Perhaps I have been too... Difficult with your people," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the display of compassion.

Liara relaxed her composure and a small grin formed on her face.

"I'm glad we could reach an understanding, then," she said, extending a hand towards Javik, which the prothean took.

One floor up, an audible wince could be heard from the mess hall. It came from the medical bay. Lieutenant Steve Cortez had just been given a shot of morphine by the ship's doctor, Karin Chakwas.

"There we are. The pain should subside in just a moment," she said with a sense of certainty. Doctor Chakwas' omni-tool began to buzz on her arm. She looked down at it. "Ah, time to force feed Joker his medicine. I swear, he's like a 9-year old turning away cough syrup," she said.

That made Cortez chuckle. "It can't be any worse than having him in the passenger seat," he said. Cortex continued, "He complains worse than James after the Maestros lose a game of biotiball."

Chakwas let out a laugh. She heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside the medbay. "Speaking of James, I believe he's coming," she said.

The door slid open and James Vega walked through the threshold.

"Hey Esteban, hey Doc," he said, looking in their respective directions.

Doctor Chakwas turned to James and said, "I need to step out for a moment. Look after Cortez here, will you?"

"Sure thing," he said in compliance, and Chakwas left.

James paced around the room and took a seat next to Cortez. There was a modestly awkward silence between the two.

"You know, Esteban, I gotta say... I mean, I know that _sometimes_ I give you a lotta shit, but... Well... You're my best friend, along with the Commander. You got no idea how quickly my heart was racing when I saw your shuttle go down in London," James said.

"Heh. Turns out that beneath your surly exterior, there's a heart of gold after all, Mr. Vega," Cortez replied in a sarcastic manner.

"Yeah. Besides, you owe me 20 credits on that championship game. No way in hell am I letting you die without paying up," said James, returning the sentiment.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Cortez said with a smirk.

"Esteban... I mean this in the most platonic, friend-oriented way possible, but... I love you, man," James said.

Cortez started to laugh. "It's about time you let me know, Mr. Vega. And here I was beginning to think you didn't like me," he said.

"Yeah yeah, real funny. Don't let it go to your head," said James in a dismissive tone.

It would only be a matter of time before the crew of the Normandy was reunited with their friends and loved ones.


	5. Beginnings

I could feel myself becoming lucid. I had the first good night's rest in a long while. Rubbing my eyes open, I could see Miranda standing near the wardrobe, half dressed. She noticed my movements and turned to look at me.

"Look who's up," she said with a smirk.

"Mmmm, good morning to you too," I said, still a bit groggy and stiff.

Miranda finished getting dressed and sat down next to me on the bed. She took one of my hands and looked down at it. I could feel the tender emotion through her touch. "We've got a big day ahead of us, Shepard," she said. I could hear a twinge of uncertainty in her voice. I could understand why. Today we need to start cracking into these dossiers and pick up people for our new Cerberus project. We still haven't decided on a name for it.

I placed my other hand on top of hers, and she turned her head up and looked me in the eye. "Yeah, we do, but don't worry. These people will help us. I know they will," I said in reassurance.

I saw a smile form on her face. She let go of my hands and put one of her arms around my shoulder. "I know I've said this before, but... I'm glad you're back, Shepard," Miranda said.

"Heh, I'm glad to be back, Miranda. I wouldn't miss this for the world. You know, between the 6 months I spent detained on Earth and the time I spent fighting in the trenches, I think you and I have some lost time to make up for," I said somewhat quietly, pulling her closer.

Her lips met mine and we shared a kiss. It was long and full of passion. Finally, she inched her head away and said, still with a smile, "That we do, Shepard. I'll be looking forward to it."

With that, she got up and walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

About an hour later, now fully clothed, I met Miranda downstairs in the kitchen of my apartment, sitting at the counter. Oriana was there as well. Miranda was clutching a mug of tea, and Oriana was eating a breakfast of a fried egg, toast, and a half an orange. Miranda had a file sitting in front of her.

I sat down across from Miranda, and she opened up the file. "Okay," she said, setting her tea down, "We need to determine who we want to grab first. The obvious choice would be Jacob and Dr. Cole. I hear they're both on the Citadel right now, in Zakera ward. Knowing Jacob, he'd want to join, but what about Dr. Cole? I never worked with her personally while I was in Cerberus."

"Well, Jacob and Brynn are engaged. If Jacob joins, I'm sure Brynn will too, and vice versa," I said, looking over the file.

"Are they? I didn't know that," Miranda said, sounding noticeably disappointed. She didn't like being kept out of the loop on things, but it was inevitable, given the state of things.

She continued, "In that case, you handle Jacob and Cole. I'll track down... Dr. Gavin Archer. He'll be another good start."

"Archer? He's still alive?", I asked, looking up from the file.

"Yes. He's down on Earth, holding out somewhere in North America," Miranda said.

"You sure you want him with us?", I asked, concerned with Miranda's other first choice. "I mean, he tortured his own brother and damn near drove him insane," I continued.

Miranda looked at me in a somewhat somber manner. "I know," she said. "I was there with you when we stopped project Overlord from imploding in on itself. regardless of what you or I think of his methods then, he'll be an asset to us now. His knowledge of artificial intelligence and the geth is second-to-none. He's even more knowledgeable than me on the subject. He would provide us a technical advantage that no other human could," she said.

I knew Miranda was right. "I... You're absolutely right," I said.

"I suppose while we're at it, we could also pick up his brother David. He's a technological savant, better than most quarians," Miranda said.

"You think that's a good idea, Miranda? I mean, David's autistic, and he isn't the most stable kid in the galaxy..." I said, my brow furrowing.

"I know. I don't like it, but we need the best, and right now, Dr. Archer and his brother are among the best," she said.

In my mind, I agreed with Miranda. I couldn't think of anything to say, instead simply vocalizing, "Hmm," in compliment.

With this, we agreed to split up and scope out our respective quarries. I would locate Jacob and Brynn, and Miranda would find the Archer brothers.

Like Miranda said, the brothers were on Earth. This being the case, she took the shuttle, while I called a cab to the ward where Jacob and Brynn were staying. I pulled up my omni-tool and tried to get ahold of Jacob, but to no avail. There was no connection. It was a rather uneventful trip, mostly spent gazing out the window of the cab in silence, looking at clean-up and construction crews. Some new buildings had been built in place of where the old stood, as if trying to recapture the sense of normalcy that had been shattered by the Reapers. Up in the sky, I could still see remnants of the presidium, floating in the void of space. Conflicting emotions welled within me at the sights. Sadness, yet also hope. We had given up so much to win; billions dead, the relays severely damaged, and from what I've been told, all of the geth are no longer responsive, as if they've died. Yet despite this, I'm optimistic that we will now be able to rebuild and flourish, on our terms and without threat of imminent annihilation. It's selfish, riding off the sacrifices of others, but that's what happens after war.

After a lengthy trip, I finally arrived at the building where Jacob and Brynn were staying. I approached the door and knocked. At first there was no answer. I knocked again, and this time there was a response. A voice played from a speaker called to me, "Who is it?"

"Commander Shepard. I need to see Jacob Taylor," I said.

"Shepard! Give me just a second, I'll ring you in," the voice said. It sounded like Jacob.

The door opened and I stepped in. Given the state of the rest of the world, it wasn't a bad place. There was power, and from what I could hear, running water. Otherwise, it was fairly plain. The walls were washed chrome, and a number of hallways branched into other rooms. Jacob emerged from one of them to meet me.

"Shepard, it's been a while, or at least it feels that way," he said, shaking my hand.

"Good to see you too, Jacob. How've you been holding together?", I asked.

"I'm happy enough, all things considered. Brynn's happy, that's all I need," he said. "I heard you were in the hospital. Miranda told me something about an explosion?", he asked.

"I was. When the Crucible fired, there was this huge explosion, and I was caught in it. I'm lucky to be alive. Miranda fished me out of the debris and got me to a hospital. I spent about 2 and a half weeks there; my Lazarus implants sped my recovery," I said.

"Shit, I'd say you're more than lucky," Jacob said, taking a seat and motioning me to an open chair. "Anyway... What brings you 'round these parts?", he asked.

"Well, first thing I did when I got out of the hospital was head home with Miranda. We're staying at my apartment on the Strip. Anyway, she talked me into this... Idea. She wants to reform Cerberus, and I agreed to help her and join on," I said. Jacob rose an eye at this information. I continued on, "I mean, it's obviously going to be different than the Cerberus before it. Not as... Evil, I guess you could say. Still independent from the Alliance, but we would be working to legitimately improve the human condition, not corrupt it as the Illusive Man had been doing."

"And let me guess. You came here to ask me to join?", he asked.

I simply replied, "Right".

He looked away from me for a moment, and turned back and said, "I doubt Brynn would approve if I did. Besides, there's her pregnancy. I mean, she's getting farther and farther along. I need to be there for her in case something happens. I can't really afford to be running around playing space marine," he said.

"We were actually hoping Brynn would join on too. We've already secured some initial funding and a front. When we get off the ground, we can provide housing for you and your family-to-be," I said.

This softened Jacob's composure, but he didn't look entirely certain.

"Hmm. That's quite an enchanting deal. What exactly would I be doing?", he asked.

"We haven't quite gotten that far," I told him. "Miranda and I have only laid down the barest foundations. You're actually the first person I've tried to recruit. When we get some more people on board, we'll hold a meeting and discuss any potential roles. I promise you Jacob, it'll be good work."

Jacob got up and paced around the room in thought. After a while, he stopped and said, "Alright Shepard, I'll do it. For you, for Miranda, and for Brynn," he said.

"You think Brynn will get on board?", I asked.

"Let me handle her," Jacob assured me.

"Great. Come by my apartment in a few days and we'll talk more about it," I told him.

"Hey, speaking of Miranda, how is she? I'd guess she's happy to have you back," he said with a chuckle.

"You've got that right," I said. "She and her sister have moved into my apartment, so now I'm outnumbered by women," I said in a friendly manner.

"Heh, can't say I'm jealous, Shepard. Brynn's had some ultrasounds done, and it looks like we're getting a girl. Guess I'll be in that camp too in due time," he replied

"You'll do fine, Jacob, I have faith in you as a father," I said.

We spoke for a little while longer, but I had to get back. I looked down at my omni-tool and was struck by the time. I had spent longer here than I thought.

"Say, Jacob, I need to run," I told him.

"Gotcha. Remember, I'll be at your place in a few days. Take it easy, Shepard," he said, walking me to the door.

I turned and shook his hand one last time. "Same to you, Jacob," I said to my friend, and departed, heading back to the apartment.

Today was productive. Miranda and I had officially started on rebuilding Cerberus, and we already had 1 person onboard. I had a very good feeling about this and what it was leading into.


	6. Chapter 6

True to his word, Jacob showed up at our apartment a few days after I had visited him. Brynn was with him, saying that she agreed to hear out our plans.

"So, Shepard, how do we plan on doing this thing?", Jacob asked me, leaning over the dining table, scanning over some documents. Jacob, Brynn, Miranda and I were all at the table discussing what each of us would be doing in the new Cerberus.

"I'd let Miranda talk about that. She's put more into this than I have," I said.

At that, Miranda cleared her throat and began to speak, "Well, if we're going to accomplish anything within our scope, we will need multiple branches. Science and politics, surely, and if need be, a military. My sister, Oriana has agreed to keep tabs on our finances from our father's company. In addition to being a source of income, it will also act as a public front."

"But what about me and Brynn?", Jacob asked her.

Turning her head, Miranda looked at Brynn and spoke to her, "Ms. Cole, I would like you to become the head of our R&D department. I've looked over your file from your time in Cerberus, and I must say that I'm very impressed. I know you'll be an asset to the team, so to speak."  
Brynn seemed to think it over for a minute. She took Jacob's hand and held it intently. She looked at Jacob for a moment, then turned back to Miranda and said, "I'll do it. For Jacob, and for our little girl."

Miranda looked relieved. I don't think she expected Brynn to come aboard. She happily extended a hand towards Brynn, who shook it. "Great, I look forward to working with you, Ms. Cole," she said. Miranda then turned to me. "Shepard... I know you recently retired from the Alliance, and that this isn't a particularly easy thing to ask given everything that's happened, but... Would you be comfortable heading up our armed forces? All of us here know that the violence and bloodshed will never stop, especially so now given the current state of the galaxy. It's more a precaution than anything. With luck and a proper dose of our other assets, not much would be needed," she asked.

"Right. No rest for the wicked, huh?", I said with a sigh. "Sure, I'll join you. I mean, I had initially hoped to take a break from fighting for a while, but... This would be for a legitimately good cause. Plus, you know what you're doing, Miranda, and I trust you. I'd be honored to work beside you more in the future, whatever it may involve. Besides, I think this may be a bit easier than taking on skyscraper-sized robot cuttlefish," I said in affirmation.

"Heh. With our luck, Shepard, I somehow doubt that," Miranda said with a small chuckle.

Finally, she turned to Jacob. "Now, the military will be the hardest part. Jacob, I'd like you to help Shepard with that. You might say that you'd be the co-captain of the team," she said.

"I might be interested, but you know I have family incoming. I can't spend all my time running around shooting at our enemies," Jacob said in compliance.

"Right. I promise, Jacob, you'll be close to Brynn and your girl. You won't need to travel if you don't wish to," Miranda said.

"In that case, you can count me in. It'll be good to work with you and Shepard again," Jacob replied. Miranda shook his hand in agreement.

We spent some more time catching up. Jacob, Miranda and I hadn't spent a ton of time together in a long while, so it was nice to be able to relax. Jacob and Brynn eventually left and went back to where they were staying.

After they departed, Miranda turned to me and said, "Well, today's been good, but we still need more numbers. Snagging Brynn will be good for our science department, and I know that you and Jacob will do wonders, but we need someone who can be planted in the Alliance. Someone who can keep us up-to-date on what they're doing. On top of that, we're going to need some sort of navy. I'll take a look at the dossiers and see who we have."

Miranda began to walk away, but I grabbed her hand. "Wait," I said. "I know that we have a big job before us, but I think this all might be a little... Fast. I mean, we only beat the Reapers 2 months ago, and even then it's been all work for the both of us ever since. I think you and I could stand to take some time off, for ourselves. I know Jacob and Brynn aren't rushing into this," I continued.

Miranda looked down and sighed. She sounded somewhat exasperated. "You're right, Shepard. But... You know I'm not very good at down-time. What would we do?", she asked me.

"Do you remember what today is?," I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She crossed her arms in confusion. "Errm... Thursday?", she said.

I'm not sure why, but I found this funny. I laughed and said, "No." I turned and reached behind me for a small black box that was sitting on the table.

Miranda snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh. Oh damn," she said. "It's my birthday today. I've been so focused on work that I've forgotten all about my own birthday." Miranda blushed and buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"Right," I said, amused at her gesture. "And to celebrate the occasion, I got you a little something. Wait right here," I continued, briskly exiting the room. I headed toward my study and picked up a small black box next to my dogtags before going back to Miranda. Upon returning, I noticed Miranda's eyes shoot straight for the box in my hands. She was anxious to see what it was. I opened the box, revealing a necklace of milky white pearls.

"Here. Take a look at these," I said. Miranda looked back up and her gaze fell upon the jewelry. Her bottom lip quivered and she extended a hand out to touch the necklace.

I handed it to her, and she looked at it in great admiration. "They're... They're gorgeous," she said. Miranda looked as if she had never seen anything like them before.

"They are," I said, taking the necklace back. I stepped beside Miranda, taking the necklace back, and undid the hook keeping the two ends together. "They're as gorgeous as the woman wearing them," I said as Miranda glanced down to look at the pearls. Part of me regretted saying that due to the sheer cheese factor. The other part of me didn't care. Apparently, neither did Miranda, as she didn't give it much regard.

"I... I'm not sure what to say, Shepard. Thank you so much. It... You've no idea how much this means to me," she said.

"I take it this sort of thing doesn't happen very often?", I asked.

"No. Not really," she said, the expression on her face growing more somber. Miranda sounded happy, yet also somewhat sad

"Well, expect it to happen more in the future," I said, placing my hands around Miranda's waist in an affectionate embrace. "Come on, today is going to be special. Follow me," I said, taking Miranda's hand a leading her up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

"Wait here," I said, leaving Miranda at the foot of the bed. I walked in to the wardrobe room and grabbed a white box.

"What's this, another gift?", Miranda asked as I came back into the room.

"You could say that," I said, opening the box. Inside was an elegant evening gown made of fine white silk. I took the dress out from the box and handed it to Miranda. She took it and ran her hand across the fabric. She looked at it in awe and wonder.

"It's lovely, Shepard. Thank you," she said. "Sorry if I'm acting a little funny, it's just that, well, you know that nobody has ever really been so good to me. I'm not entirely certain how to take this. It's all so... Foreign," she continued.

"I understand. I think I would be the same way in your position," I said in assurance. Miranda spent a few more moments admiring the dress, and I could see a smile forming on her face. Afterwards, I got up and said to Miranda, "Put that on and meet me downstairs. We're going to have some fun." She nodded her head in compliance, and I left the room, walking down the stairs.

I made my way down the stairs exiting the bedroom and walked into my study. On my desk was a box. I opened the box and revealed a finely pressed tuxedo, custom-tailored for me. I put it on and prepared myself for Miranda's arrival. Making my way back to the base of the stairs, I saw Miranda emerge from our bedroom, wearing the dress and necklace. Her beauty was positively stunning, her almost raven-colored hair contrasting with her clothing, as her skin seemed to faintly glow in the light. It was angelic. Miranda stepped down the stairs and I took her hand as she met me.

"You put yourself together nicely, Shepard," she said.

"Thanks. I want this to be extra special, Miranda," I said, gazing into her eyes.

"You've done a well enough job so far, you know," Miranda said, wrapping her arm around my own.

"Nonsense. If you've never had a birthday celebration before, you're going to get one tonight," I said as I kissed her on the cheek. "Come with me," I continued. We made our way into the open space near my piano.

"What's going to happen?", Miranda asked.

"You'll see," I responded. I released her arm and clapped twice. The lights dimmed and music began to play.

I turned towards Miranda. "Now, may I offer a dance to the lady of the evening?", I asked in an affectionate manner as I extended a hand towards Miranda.

"That would be lovely," Miranda said, taking my hand. "Of course, I've seen you dance, Shepard. Are you sure you can meet my rigorous standards?", she asked in a joking tone.

"I think I can. You might have seen me dance, but you haven't seen me dance. I think you might be pleasantly surprised," I said as Miranda and I got into stance. The music began to pick up.

"Not bad, Shepard. I must say you've succeeded in surprising me so far", Miranda said about halfway through the first song, a smile on her face. I merely smiled back at her as we continued.

Later, when the music ended and the lights brightened, I heard Miranda let out a chuckle. "I'll be damned," she said. "You CAN dance," she continued, putting her arms around me in an embrace. I returned the notion.

"Told you I would surprise you," I said. Say, after all that rigorous physical activity, I'm famished. what do you say we eat something?", I asked.

"Sounds good to me. Have something in mind?", Miranda asked me in return.

"I have one idea, yeah," I said, taking Miranda by the hand and leading her into the dining area.

"So you're one of the galaxy's best soldiers, a star dancer, and a chef? Is there anything you can't do?", Miranda asked.

"Well, I can't survive being spaced. I think you can attest to that one," I said. "Regardless of how suave my moves are, I DO make a mean sirloin," I continued.

"I'll be the judge of that," Miranda said with a smirk.

Miranda seated herself at the table as I took off my jacket to cook.

It was anxiously silent while I prepared the food. I laid Miranda's plate in front of her on the table, and my own in font of my seat across from her. Reaching into the middle of the table, I grabbed a bottle of wine.

"And now, I present to the lady of the evening, a bottle of Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti 2139, from the finest-grown vines in France," I said, pouring the wine into two glasses.

"Anderson had fine taste in drinks," Miranda said.

"That he did. May he rest in peace," I said, tipping the bottle back up.

"How about a toast, then?" Miranda asked, grasping her glass.

"Yes. To those who can no longer be with us. Those who valiantly gave themselves so that we lucky few may continue to live in comfort. To Mordin, Thane, Legion, and Kaidan," I said as Miranda and I tapped our glasses together.

"I'm sorry, Shepard. I know you were friends with each of them," Miranda said, her thus-far cheery demeanor cooling.

"Ahh, it's okay, Miranda. Though I wonder if I could count myself among them. I DID die after all," I said, trying to rekindle her spark.

"I don't think so. I spent two years so as to undo your death, and that was nothing short of a miracle. I intend on keeping you that way, whether you like it or not," Miranda said with a subtle hint of humor.

"And I'm perfectly fine with that," I said, taking a sip from my glass.

Some time and a bottle of wine later, Miranda and I finished our meal. I looked out the window. It was visibly dark outside, even with the lights coming from the Strip. I looked at the time on my omni-tool; it was almost midnight.

"Well, I must say, Shepard... You do make a mean sirloin," Miranda said, leaning back in her chair. It may have been the wine, but the lights from the Strip seemed to give her an angelic glow, further enchancing her beauty.

"It's been one hell of a night, hasn't it, Miranda? Just you, me, some fine jewellery, soft music, and fine food, without a care in the world," I asked.  
"It has indeed, Shepard. You described it perfectly. Still though, it feels as if perhaps something is missing..." she said, standing up to meet me at the side of the table.

"Oh? Something like what?", I asked.

"You know. Tonight's been very romantic, but don't you think it's time we did something a little more fun together?", she asked. It immediately clicked in my brain, what she was talking about. I formed a coy smile.

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I do have one more gift to give you," I said.

Miranda laughed. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Shepard," she said, coming in to kiss me. I lifted her off the ground and carried her upstairs to the bedroom for one final "celebration".


End file.
